The Lakers are signing former Florida player Alex Fudge to a two-way contract, agent Shayuan Saee told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Fudge had signed an Exhibit 10 deal back in June, and now the Lakers have converted it into a two-way. As a result, Cole Swider will be waived, and Fudge will join former teammate Colin Castleton and D’Moi Hodge in filling the Lakers’ two-way slots.
The decision to sign Fudge is likely based on his impressive raw athletic potential and defensive prowess. It goes without notice, the 6-foot-9 forward’s interior finishing and hustle on both ends could allow him to make frequent momentum-changing impact plays that don’t show up in the stat sheet.
During his time in college, despite only averaging 5.8 points and 4.5 rebounds his senior year, the Gators forward showed his ability to play above the rim and shine in the transition game. Correspondingly, in the NBA Summer League this year, he showed glimpses of his athleticism on a couple fast-break highlight reel dunks.
Scouts rave about the undrafted player’s athletic leaping ability and 7-foot wingspan, however, he isn’t considered a total offensive threat due to his inconsistent shooting. As of now, Fudge lacks the ability to create his own shot, but that can be overlooked considering his explosiveness.
The Lakers look forward to developing the two-way slasher’s perimeter game, turning the 20-year-old into an NBA wing that can make a difference off the bench. That is to say, presumably the rookie will spend most of his time playing for the South Bay Lakers in the G League this year, in hopes of making enough noise to get called up. Particularly, fans hope to catch a glimpse of his sensational dunks and alley-oop finishes in the near future.
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